Pete Rose played Major League Baseball for 24 seasons, from 1963-1986, and had more hits, 4,256, than any other player (by a wide margin). He gambled, but only on his own team winning, and paid a decades-long price.
If anyone knows what it’s like to be banned from the game for life, it’s Pete Rose!
Well, the major league hero has a few things to say about baseball players kneeling for the anthem.
“They should be banned for life! This kind of disrespect should not be allowed in America’s passtime. Kids grow up playing this game, looking up to players. We are all role models.
Taking a knee during the National Anthem is an act of defiance and disrespect. Regardless of what injustice takes place in our country, the flag is innocent and noble. It should not be disrespected.
You have a problem with police. Take it up with the police. You have a problem with racism. Take it up with the racists. Don’t disparage our flag and our military. If you do that, you should be out of a job in pro sports. There is no room for politics in sports. Period.”
Rose says there’s nothing worse than taking a knee for the flag. Lying, cheating, stealing, gambling on your own team… none are worse than protesting police brutality peacefully by taking a knee. It’s just so disrespectful!
There is no word as of yet on how MLB will respond. Rose had one more thing to say about it though. Through spokesperson Joe Barron, the simple statement said:
“If they can ban me for life, those guys should get the boot, too.”
And, there you have it. It’s all politics. Every time. There is no escape from this corruption and viciousness.